City of Iqaluit plans future priorities in strategic planning session

Broken pipes, an overloaded dump and ongoing problems with the city's wastewater plant: these are just three of many priorities City of Iqaluit officials will discuss this weekend in a strategic planning session that looks to chart the future of Nunavut's capital.

"There's just so many needs," said Iqaluit mayor Madeleine Redfern. "The list goes on and on."

The private workshop will look at what the city should focus on over the next five to 10 years and bring together city councillors with municipal directors to discuss how Iqaluit will get there.

"We're trying to restabilize, get the city`s finances back on track and try to moveforward on some big projects," Redfern said.

"We need to close our dump and we need a new landfill. We'recontinuouslydealing with breaking pipes on a regular basis. We also need to have ourwastewater upgradedin order to be compliant with the law."

• Water treatment must be brought up to federal standards by 2018 or city risks massive fines

A 2013 study by the formerDepartment of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Developmentdetermined the discharge from the wastewater plant was toxic. The city could face possible fines of up to $100,000 a day and jail time for officials if it doesn't comply by the endof 2018.

New position pitched

This is the first strategic plan under the current city council, almost one year after the election in October2015.

CouncillorKuthula Matshazisays the meeting isa chance for the city to look at best practices in other northerncommunities and use that information to improve infrastructure, such as pipes and roads, which areconstantlyin need of repairs in Iqaluit.

"What I hope to see the city do isembrace newertechnologies, make use of best practices,engagethe researchcommunitiesto look at what are othercommunitiesdoing insimilar weather conditionsto have modern, durableinfrastructure," he said.

To do that,Matshaziis pitching the idea of creating a new position within the city, a business analyst who would be able to research newtechnologies.

"Everybody is running around and everybody is working hard attending to day-to-dayissues but we want to have that person to be working at the strategic level, have an overview of where we are,where we want to go," he said.

The planning session will produce a draft strategic plan that the mayor plans on sharing with the community.

"I think it's really important that we share that with our community so that there'sfeedback, that people understand why our priorities are what they are," Redfern said.